Kyocera DuraForce Pro comes to T-Mobile with an exclusive feature

T-Mobile is the latest carrier to offer the Kyocera DuraForce Pro. (Source: T-Mobile)

T-Mobile has a new rugged smartphone courtesy of Kyocera. The DuraForce Pro is a mid-range handset that features the usual damage resistance certifications, but also includes a video recording feature that is exclusive to this carrier.

Several months after launching on the other major carriers, Kyocera's DuraForce Pro has made its way to T-Mobile. The ruggedized handset makes up for its late arrival with a camera feature that is exclusive to T-Mobile.

Dubbed "Action Mode," this feature overlays a HUD over your video recordings that shows various types of information, such as speed, altitude, G-force, distance traveled, time elapsed, and a date stamp. The HUD is visible not only on the screen while recording, but also on the recorded video itself during playback. This feature is optional, of course.

As with most other rugged smartphones, the DuraForce Pro is IP68-rated to resist damage from dust and water immersion up to 2 meters (6.5 feet) for 30 minutes. The device meets the MIL-STD 810G classification for resistance to additional threats such as shock, extreme temperatures, and even solar radiation.

When it comes to specs, the DuraForce Pro falls squarely into the mid-range. It comes with a 5-inch 1080p display and is powered by a Snapdragon 617 octa-core processor and 2 GB of RAM. There are only 32 GB of internal storage, but the handset can handle micro SD cards up to 256 GB in size. A 5-megapixel camera adorns the front of the DuraForce Pro; the rear camera takes 13-megapixel pictures and features a 135-degree field of view. Additional features include a 3,240 mAh battery and a fingerprint reader. Unfortunately, the device runs on Android Marshmallow instead of Nougat.

T-Mobile sells the DuraForce Pro for $425 upfront, plus an additional $25 SIM starter kit fee. There are also two financing options, depending on your credit: a $329 upfront charge plus $4 per month for 24 months, or $17 upon ordering and then $17 every month for 24 months. Both options also add $25 for the SIM card, if you need one.

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